EASTERN PACIFIC · 1959 SEASON

Hurricane Patsy (1959)

Recorded track and intensity · 6 Sept 1959–11 Sept 1959

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
PATSY: complete recorded track, 6 Sept 1959–11 Sept 1959Recorded track from 6 Sept 1959 to 11 Sept 1959. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.Pacific Ocean6 Sep, 00:00 UTC7 Sep, 00:00 UTC8 Sep, 00:00 UTC9 Sep, 00:00 UTC10 Sep, 00:00 UTC11 Sep, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 56 SEP11 SEP

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DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5Post-tropical
Wind speed 150 ktPressure Not recorded
0960809801601000kthPa6 Sep7 Sep9 Sep11 Sep
Forward speed 15 ktCumulative ACE 4.25 10⁴ kt²
0015103020kt10⁴ kt²6 Sep7 Sep9 Sep11 Sep
Maximum sustained wind150 kt

173 mph / 278 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure970 hPa

9 Sept 1959 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration5 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance2,300 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Patsy is listed in the Eastern Pacific basin for the 1959 season. Its archived track begins on 6 Sept 1959, 00:00 UTC at 18.7°N, 178.7°W. US-agency wind is not available for this first observation. These dates describe the available observations, which may include stages before and after the tropical cyclone phase.

The first Category 5 observation appears on 6 Sept 1959, 18:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 150 knots (173 mph / 278 km/h), first recorded on 6 Sept 1959, 18:00 UTC at 22.2°N, 178.5°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 970 hPa on 9 Sept 1959, 18:00 UTC.

The full record spans 120 hours and approximately 2,300 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 37.4°N, 179.8°E on 11 Sept 1959, 00:00 UTC.

QUICK ANSWERS

Patsy in brief

What was Hurricane Patsy’s highest wind speed?

150 kt (173 mph / 278 km/h), the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on 6 Sept 1959, 18:00 UTC.

What category was Hurricane Patsy?

Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on 6 Sept 1959, 18:00 UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.

What was Hurricane Patsy’s lowest pressure?

970 hPa, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on 9 Sept 1959, 18:00 UTC.

When did Hurricane Patsy occur?

The archived track runs from 6 Sept 1959, 00:00 UTC to 11 Sept 1959, 00:00 UTC, with the tropical stage from 6 Sept 1959, 00:00 UTC to 11 Sept 1959, 00:00 UTC.

Where did Hurricane Patsy form?

In the Eastern Pacific basin, in the 1959 season. Its first archived position is 18.7°N, 178.7°W on 6 Sept 1959, 00:00 UTC.

Did Hurricane Patsy make landfall?

No archived position places Hurricane Patsy’s center over land, but positions are six-hourly and a brief landfall can fall between them.

METHODOLOGY

Data sources and limitations

The map and summary are generated from NOAA’s IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive’s pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth’s 1:10m land data.

Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm’s center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.

Archive retrieved

NOAA IBTrACS archive · Field documentation

Sources & methodology